| Good afternoon. I appreciate the
opportunity to speak before you here today. It is truly an honor to
be inducted into the Scholar-Athlete Society with a group of my
peers who are so deeply dedicated to their success on the playing
field and in the classroom. Before I talk about my athletic
experience at Bates, I would like to note that without the guidance
and support of my parents, brothers, friends, teammates, coaches,
teachers, and professors I would not be where I am today. And for
all that they have done for me, I am entirely grateful. Preceding
the beginning of my college career here at Bates, I visited a few
times to watch the men’s lacrosse team play some schools like
Amherst and Middlebury. I was immediately fixated by the great
atmosphere, intensity, and skill level of the games. Once I arrived
at Bates, the appeal of college games only grew. Whether it was
driving down to Bowdoin to cheer for the men’s basketball
team as they beat the Polar Bears by one in regulation, or watching
the men’s soccer team tie Wesleyan with time running out in
the second half, I longed to experience the excitement of playing
in front of so many students, professors, and parents at such a
high level. Initially, my athletic experience was driven by this
eagerness to be a part of the hard-fought battles of college
sports. However, as my time at Bates progressed so did my athletic
experience. The relationships that I developed with all of my
teammates and coaches made playing a sport at Bates so much more
than just stepping out onto the field in a big game, scoring a
goal, getting an assist, or even winning. To me, Bates has provided
the perfect environment for a college experience that is balanced
between academics, athletics, and personal relationships. The
similar intensities that surround academics and athletics at this
school provide a platform for student athletes to be challenged,
but not completely overrun, by either one of these aspects of their
college experience. And the friendliness of the Bates students and
faculty has provided an atmosphere that is necessary for strong
relationships to form. As I begin to look back on my four years at
Bates, I know that what I will remember most about my athletic
career are the relationships that I have forged through sports. In
college, teams take a form of family that is so special and
rewarding. It has been one of the greatest feelings to work towards
a common goal with people that I consider some of my closest
friends. The preparation and training that is necessary for college
athletics is different from the effort that goes into schoolwork or
employment. You must be prepared for the many different aspects of
your sport, whether it is strength, endurance, agility, stick
skills (or any other necessary, sport-specific skill), or the
mental components of the game. Although people can observe how
athletes prepare themselves for a season, only the athletes and the
coaches really know what they put into their sport, and that is a
special feeling. Throughout my years here at Bates, I have greatly
valued the time that I have spent preparing for the upcoming
season. Whether I was working out in Underhill Arena, conditioning
as a team in the slippery Gray Cage, or shooting on the goal with
teammates in Merrill Gym, training provided me with an escape from
any type of stress I was experiencing with schoolwork and the
satisfaction of working hard to make myself and my team better. In
terms of wins and losses, my athletic experience in college was not
as successful as my career in high school. However, in terms of
learning experiences, personal growth, and friendships, my athletic
career at Bates couldn’t have been any more fulfilling and
rewarding. I want to thank all of my teammates, coaches,
professors, fellow scholar-athletes, Kevin McHugh and the athletics
department, and Bates as a whole, for making my athletic experience
here possible. I will never forget any of it. And I look forward to
traveling back up to Lewiston to root for the Bobcats in the coming
years. |
Men's lacrosse player Nick Sampson delivered the Address on
Behalf of the Graduates
|
